Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
South Boston earns a D−, better than 2% of U.S. towns, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. The median household income is $44K, and 27% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in South Boston, above both the Virginia town median (7.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). South Boston has 8 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Berry Hill and Tarover. South Boston's schools rank behind 89% of the state's.
Where South Boston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Berry Hill| Widest gap | South Boston | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.5% | 7.1% |
Berry Hill is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 328 in 1880, 7,966 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far South Boston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Boston, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in South Boston.
South Boston is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Virginia rate.
At 2.9 years of the county’s $52K median household income, the typical home (about $152K) costs less against local pay than in 93% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. Home values rose 39% in five years, to about $152K, against 23% across Virginia.
The typical South Boston home is worth about $152,000, up 6.3% in a year, 63% below the Virginia typical home. South Boston’s median rent is $760 a month.
| South Boston | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $760 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 51% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Halifax County Public Schools. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Halifax County High, with 1,282 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax County MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 847 | C− |
| Halifax County HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,282 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,688 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Boston’s, it is less healthy than 76%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of South Boston adults have diabetes. Of the 253 Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than South Boston. 43% of South Boston adults have obesity.
| South Boston | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Boston | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.3% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 76.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.5% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
15 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The trail density in South Boston is 1.1 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Paul C. Edmunds Park, at 102 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Paul C. Edmunds Park | 0.4 mi | 102 |
| 2. Vaughan St. Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Tobacco Heritage Trail - Cotton Mill Park Trailhead, South Boston | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Violent crime runs at 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Virginia rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its C−. At 40.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Virginia’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 33 flood insurance claims have been paid out in South Boston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South Boston has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 27° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,262 working residents takes 15.9 minutes, against 27.3 across Virginia.
Most working residents leave South Boston for work: only 19% work in town. Among 253 Virginia towns, just 5 have a lower average trip to work than South Boston. The top destinations are Halifax (12%), Riverdale (11%) and Danville (5%).
| South Boston | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 4.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of South Boston; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 South Boston residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
8 places in South Boston on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in South Boston.
Town in Virginia, United States
South Boston, formerly Boyd's Ferry, is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Boston had a population of 7,966. It is the most populous town in Halifax County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with South Boston.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Boston | #248 | D− | B− | C− | D | D |
| Riverdale | — | — | A− | — | D | C− |
Riverdale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Riverdale reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare South Boston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Boston grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns. It grades D for health, C− for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.9 years of the area's median household income ($52,013 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
12 notable people were born here, including Greg Vanney and Ward Burton.
